Some women just have it all, do it all, and totally rock it. Markella Mildenberger is one of those inspiring, creative women. When I first met her, I was completely drawn to her outgoing personality and, of course, stellar wallpaper and textile designs. Once I had the opportunity to get to know Markella, she quickly became one of my favourite industry people – a mother, entrepreneur, creative force and savvy businesswoman.
When I introduce my clients to Markella and her business, The Red Palette, they are always beyond impressed. Not only is the concept of small batch, art-derived wall coverings a new concept for many of them, but the fact that they are able to work with Markella to customize her work to personalize their space leaves them with an inspiring feature that offers a story to share.
In the short time she's been fully set up in Vancouver, Markella has definitely made her mark on the city; gaining widespread press and a designer following, she's one of the most sought after women in Vancouver. You can check out her current collection at this year’s IDSWest, in which The Red Palette has a prime booth. But for now, here's an introduction to the woman behind one of the top local creative brands that you definitely need to know.
Tell us a little about yourself:
In a nutshell, I am an artist (surface designer, textiles and wallpaper) and a writer. I have a background in journalism and business and had spent a decent amount of my former life in finance and have been a freelance writer in between. I have a couple loves of my life, my two sons, Mr. T and Ashducky (nicknames). I am a road warrior and frequent the Coquihalla often. I founded my company The Red Palette a few years ago, starting with my original artwork and prints until it evolved into what it is now, a surface design company, focusing on wallpapers and textiles.
What is your most quirky attribute?
That’s a tough one. I think the quirkiest thing I do (oh God) is when I paint or create pieces I can’t wear clothes! Dressed I feel constricted, so I undress to my skivvies, crank Sintara real loud and lay my workspace out (which is my living room floor) and just get into my zone. It makes for interesting meetings when I still have paint caked on my ankles or in my hair. You can often find bits of the rainbow hanging around in my ponytail.
Who is your idol or mentor?
I don’t think I could name just one, and mostly it’s the people I meet throughout life… you know the seemingly ordinary guy at the corner coffee shop that reads his paper every morning with his cappuccino and then heads off to work with youth, or seniors, the homeless or spends his hours fusing inspiration into another human being. That’s my idol, my mentor. And I meet so many ‘ordinary’ people doing extraordinary things, and so many creatives just practicing their crafts out of sheer love and both are so admirable. It’s the people doing and following their calling that I idolize.
If you could describe your artistic style in one word, what would it be?
Unconstrained. I really don’t do things typically, or have a particular style. I create based on what I feel and how I feel it (the piece) will reveal itself best. I push the envelope by breaking the ‘rules’.
What do you wish more people knew about artists?
We are incredibly hard on ourselves. The works that we share with the public are our babies and it can be really hard to let them out into the world. We often create several pieces we deem 'crap' before we share one piece and have often endured our own self-critiquing, and then have to move on to some form of self-motivational speaking before we feel ready to share our work. We also get tired of people saying our quotes are too high. We put our everything into everything we create; that’s hard to account for with dollar signs.
If you could speak to a room of youth who were considering careers in the arts, what would your advice be?
If you love this now, you always will. Creating art in whatever form is not something you outgrow, and at some point in your life you will always find your way back to it. If you’re told you can’t make a living as an artist and that scares you, good. If you don’t learn how to let your fear propel you into action now, you’ll be a closet artist. Being an artist is hard work, learn how and why you want to express your craft, but also make sure to learn how to market yourself. If you don’t treat your artistry professionally, you can’t expect anyone else to. It takes us artists using both our left and right sides of the brain to cross the proverbial ‘starving artist’ barrier. You can do it.
